Agreed
wallyb
>William I agree that the joint BCTW uses can not be explained by the hacksaw and ball pein hammer method. Most of the posters here obviously think that the BCTW joint is synonomous with the hammer method. I don't think that it is. One person has correctly stated that the internet has dozens of examples of plane dovetailing, yet Sandor's example is the only one that I recall seeing that tries to explain BCTW's double dovetail.
What intrigues me is that Sandor thought of this method because he was unaware of the peining method. This is probably due to his woodworking background. The sliding d/d is a well known advanced joinery method amongst woodworkers, not so much for it's practicality, but for the skill required for it's execution and the resulting wow factor that it produces.
Since John Economaki has an advanced woodworking background I am quite certain that he would be aware of the sliding d/d, and he certainly does not shirk from adding a little wow factor to his product. I find it quite plausible that he may use some form of the sliding d/d as outlined by Sandor. Peining alone does not explain how he effects the joint. I don't beleive stainless steel has the maleability required to move the amount of material required by a d/d. If it can be done (unlikly) the resulting stresses would not allow for a plane that would remain stable enough to produce the occlusive seal on a granite plate that John describes. Instead, a plug could be silver-soldered in the slot, locking in the sides. The thermal stress from a low temperature silver solder would be less than that incurred by mechanical movement of the material. Offered as further evidence of a sliding d/d, is his planes all have an infill which would cover up the slots and plugs.
I agree that the machining process for a sliding d/d would require an accuracy of emmense challenge. But that is what distinguishes John's tools- he obviously embraces the challenge. The angled gear joint of his angle divider is proof of that.
WB